5 questons with Capt. Charles Barrett: Former actor, fulltime soldier now promotes Army’s accomplishments

We hear you’ve been a Hollywood extra in another life. Are you an actor who’s working as a soldier or a soldier who has worked as an actor?

To go back even further, I was in the Army before I went to Hollywood. I guess you could say I’m a soldier pretending to be an actor who’s playing the role of a soldier. However, the military has always been my first passion. Perhaps when I retire, I’ll go back to Los Angeles to be a military adviser.

How does the Columbus area differ from the bright lights of Los Angeles?

It seems that virtually no one working in Hollywood is from L.A. It’s a place made up of people from every state and just about every country. So the biggest difference is the people. Relationships are very important, and they are a good barometer. Hollywood has metaphorical roadblocks at every turn. It’s hard to get in and be a part of something, and when you do get in your successes are short lived. In Columbus, however, I’ve found the folks to be more genuine. When the pace of life is slower, you can allow yourself longer exposure time which in turn opens things up to more detail. Columbus also has far fewer police chases.

What was your biggest role and who are the most famous actors you met?

My only credited role was in the movie “13 Days,” which is about the Cuban missile crisis, and my 10 seconds of fame comes with the line, “Maj. Anderson, there’s a phone call for you.” It’s an hour and 50 minutes into the movie. Don’t blink. It stars Bruce Greenwood and Kevin Costner. I did not get to meet them.

In Hollywood I kept a distinction between actors I’ve met and actors I’ve just seen on set. For example, I’ve only seen Julia Roberts, but I’ve met Seth Green. Martin Sheen is a pretty big name, and I got to speak with him while on the set of “West Wing.” He’s a genuinely hard-working actor. But for me the biggest stars were not necessarily the most memorable. Marc Blucas may not be the biggest name, but is a real likable, down-to-earth guy. I’ve met just about everyone from “Star Trek: Voyager,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “JAG,” and “ER.”

Also memorable was the time I met Ben Affleck while working on Pearl Harbor. We were at Malibu beach standing outside a bungalow-type bar that was built just for the movie. My friend and I were standing by to go on set for the next scene, when he elbows me and says, “Hey, here comes Ben Affleck.” I look up and sure enough there he was. We all make eye contact and say hi. He acknowledges us with a head nod and then dives into the trash can looking for something. I’m about to say, “Hey, Ben, if you need a five spot to get by, I can probably help you out,” when he comes up with the newspaper crossword puzzle. We make eye contact again and Ben asks, “Do you have a pen?” My friend, who has a pen in hand, thrusts it forward. Then Ben says, “Thanks. Can I keep this?” Without missing a beat, my friend says, “No.” Quite bewildered, Ben slowly hands the pen back, turns around, and leaves. My friend then says, “I just said no to Ben Affleck. I’ll never work in this town again.”

How did you wind up in the U.S. Army as a public affairs officer?

When it became clear that I needed to get out of Los Angeles, it was a natural choice to go back into the military. The big name movie stars you know and love make up less than 1 percent of the total number of actors. About nine percent are the ones you recognize, but may not remember their names, and the rest of us are starving artists. That’s why every actor has a second job in the food industry. Needless to say my funds ran out. I had a college degree at that point which allowed me to go straight to Officer Candidate School, and after I was commissioned, the “needs of the Army” sent me to be an Armor officer. That worked out fairly well. However, during my second deployment to Iraq I was presented with an opportunity to transition to a functional area of my choice. I spent about 20 minutes reading the one-paragraph job descriptions and decided on public affairs. It was a good decision. I love building relationships between the Army and the public. My job is to highlight the accomplishments of our soldiers. Can it get any better?

Now that you’re about to transfer in June to Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, S.C., what’s the best kept secret in the Chattahoochee Valley?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say the best kept secret was Bear O’Brian. My good friend Bear has unlocked the door to Columbus BBQ for me. We have agreed that there is no such thing as bad BBQ here – there’s only varying degrees of goodness. I’ve now been to, and in no particular order, Fat Freddie’s on Hamilton, Peppers on Warm Springs, Chester’s Barbeque on Veterans, Brennan Road BBQ, Chicken Comer’s BBQ off of Veterans, Mike and Ed’s, Country’s, and The Three Lil Pigs in Pine Mountain, not to be confused with Moore’s Whistling Pig Café also in Pine Mountain which is my next stop. I’d also recommend the Richland Pig Fest in Stewart County. Please do your taste buds a favor, draw up a checklist and start eating some BBQ.

About Capt. Charles Barrett

Job: Public affairs officer for the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

Age: 36

Hometown: St. Louis

Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications from St. Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, Ind.

Family: Wife, Michelle

Pets: Five dogs (Lola, Ed, Jack, Kramer and Floyd), one bearded dragon (Draxx), two fish tanks (assorted numbers: Zebra Loach, Blue Ram, Paradise Fish, Sunset Gourami, Platy, Sword Tail, Cory Catfish, etc)

Favorite Quote: “Butter is the essence of life.” -- Ben Hutto.

Favorite Book: “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink.

Favorite movie: “Swingers.” It’s about a group of guys from the East Coast who are trying to make it as actors in L.A. Many of the jokes ring true when compared to my own experience.

Favorite TV show: It changes on a weekly basis, but near the top of the current list are “The Mentalist,” “Glee” and “Burn Notice”. When I’m feeling adventurous, it’s “Swamp People,” “River Monsters” or “Hoarders.”

Best concert attended: Spinal Tap

This story was originally published May 16, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "5 questons with Capt. Charles Barrett: Former actor, fulltime soldier now promotes Army’s accomplishments."